Advocate Kashimshetty Karuna Sagar filed the complaint on Friday in the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court. He wanted the court to register a case against Mr Owaisi deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings or any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs (Section 295A), promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion (Section 153A) and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

During the hearing, Mr Karunansagar said that he is being threatened since the time he has filed the complaint. He submitted a copy of the FIR he had filed with the local police station.

According to Mr Karunasagar, he saw a video on a website wherein Mr Owaisi, who represents Chandrayangutta Assembly constituency, allegedly used inflammatory and derogatory words against a particular community, while addressing a public meeting (MIM Jalsa) at Nirmal town of Adilabad district.

42-year-old Akbaruddin Owaisi has toured several districts and addressed gatherings over the last two months. Those speeches were also telecast on local channel 4TV, owned by an MIM leader, who has also been made a party in the case.

Ever since the MIM parted ways with the Congress party in November, observers say it has tended to become more aggressive in asserting its religious identity.

The BJP has demanded that the state government should initiate criminal action against Mr Owaisi. "The party feels that such speeches tantamount to threatening the very democratic fabric of the nation and divide people," said the state BJP president G Kishan Reddy.